“To meet these ever-growing expectations, supply chains are integrating digital processes that extend enterprise-wide to help manage the complexities of omnichannel demand and fulfillment,” Schneider says. “For example, Brooks Brothers integrated a new customer relationship management (CRM) system to access a 360-degree view of its customers across 600 stores. This universal customer database was designed to help the company gain a personalized view of customer preferences and purchase history regardless of country or location. Many retailers are now taking advantage of big data to gain insight and visibility into consumers’ shopping behaviors, allowing them to align business models and supply chains to meet demand.”

Market intelligence doesn’t just come from networking, though. A huge amount of insight comes from data analysis, too. The challenge is understanding how to actually analyze data and apply the analysis to supply chain strategy to drive positive results. People in supply chain management and procurement careers must have knowledge on data and data analytics, Handfield said. They need to understand what data is available to them, and how to apply the data and analytics to solve a supply chain problem.

As the healthcare ecosystem continues to rapidly change, the “new healthcare consumer” takes unprecedented control over how they purchase, access, consume and value healthcare services. No longer are their expectations shaped by traditional healthcare models. Instead, they are increasingly seeking a more personalized retail experience. At the same time, consumers are defining health and wellness in new and more encompassing ways. The industry is now poised to meet these emerging consumer needs through technology and innovation. Dr. Mark Boxer, EVP and Global CIO of Cigna, will explore how the new healthcare consumer drives a new orientation on IT strategy, forces organizations to redefine the way they engage their customers and changes the manner in which they operate within the broader healthcare ecosystem. Cigna has partnered with Pega to address these challenges and opportunities through the implementation of a core health platform that will enable new models of payer and provider collaboration, support innovative consumer capabilities and increase our business agility.

A prospective supplier needs to know two things to be considered as a P&W supplier, Albertelli says. First, she advises that manufacturing processes would-be suppliers have traditionally done by hand – welding, for example – need to be automated as much as possible. Second, a company should have the flexibility to understand that it might not be the only provider of a part, which can be important if a company needs to invest in new equipment, such as robots.

Companies not auditing their suppliers for corruption and ethics violations (61% surveyed):

businesses need to dive deeper than their first tier of suppliers, to make sure their suppliers’ suppliers are driving through their systems the desired ethical and social policies, he said. “It is more difficult to get information on the second line because companies concentrate on that first line” of suppliers, said Mr. Chamberlain. “They’ve got to get first tier to do it.”